Friday, September 22, 2006

NFL Week 3: Preview and Picks

Jags over Colts: GAME OF THE WEEK! Not many teams play the Colts tougher than the Jags, particularly in Indy. This is the year of the breakthrough. If the Steelers couldn't run on JAX, what will Indy do?

Packers over Lions: The first of the week's four "Someone's-Gotta-Win-Their-First" games. If the Packers lose, Favre should quit. Monday.

Bears over Vikings: When Ryan Longwell is your team's most efficient QB, it's not going to be pretty against the NFC's best D.

Bills over Jets: Don't you get it? Don't you see?! The winner here is one step further from the top of the draft pile. The winner is really the LOSER. The loser is really the winner. Did I just blow your mind?

Bengals over Steelers: Cincy and Chad Johnson are going to go all "Joey Porter's dogs" on the dead horse that is the Steelers. What: Too insensitive?

Panthers over Bucs: Another "SGWT1st." One of these teams is going to start the season 0-3; the Bucs should start scouting Brady Quinn (who is overrated, but still).

Texans over Skins: Another "SGWT1st." I'm sure I'll regret this pick, but I just get the sense the Skins' season is a trainwreck-in-progress.

Ravens over Browns: What's up with Balto's supremely easy early schedule? When Baltimore shuts out the Browns, Cleveland will HAVE to make coaching changes, won't they?

Cardinals over Rams: St. Louis fans get a reminder of the type of offense that they used to have. (Yes, I'm riding the Cards for a 2nd straight week. Last week? Gack! This week: Yes!)

49ers over Eagles: Last week, I took the Niners over the Rams and I took a lot of grief. Gotta ride the hot horse. This will be a look-how-far-we've-come game.

Seahawks over Giants: You can already hear the Giants and their fans griping about the "12th Man" crowd noise. It's a built-in excuse for losing.

Dolphins over Titans: Another "SGWT1st." If the Fins are going to salvage an 0-2 start into a playoff run, it has to begin here.

SNF: Pats over Broncos: I'll bet Belichick isn't much for emotional ploys, but revenge for last season's playoff L might be a good time for one.

MNF: Falcons over Saints. Everyone say "Awww!" as the NFL returns to New Orleans. Meanwhile, everyone say "Ohhh! as the Falcons ride the wishbone to nationl-TV glory.

Last week: 12-4Season: 24-8

Comments Spin-Off Topic: What's the most intriguing plotline or matchup of Week 3? Who are the players to watch?

-- D.S.

Note: Like college football Saturday, I won't be participating in any day-long live-blogging due to observance of Rosh Hashanah, but I'll set up a post for everyone to keep a running commentary going all day.

I'm interested to see if Big Ben will bounce back at all or if your prediction for this one will be right on target.

Which Brett Farve will show up, Week 1's 2005 version, or Week 2's ol'gunslinger version? It is only Detroit here.

Will Shaun Alexander get over a 100 yds this wk?

I was wondering if Culpepper was really much better than Vince Young, even in limited playing time Vince has as many TDs (1), and more rushing yards. Daunte has more INTs, and pass yardage, but again this is due to VY's minutes so it's hard to judge. But I know for sure Vince looks better than Collins right now, start the boy already!

This is really the NFL Separation Sunday, is it not? 4 divisional battles where first place is at stake: marquee matchups Jags v. Colts and Bengals v. Steelers, with Bears v. Vikings as the undercard, and Saints v. Falcons as the emotional nightcap.

You've also got a battle of two AFC title contenders that are struggling early (Broncos v. Pats), a battle of 0-2 teams that were supposed to make the playoffs (Panthers v. Bucs), a battle of NFC contenders (Seahawks v. Giants) and an old-fashioned battle of NFC West sleepers (Cards v. Rams).

Forget the wishbone. The Falcons should line up Jerious Norwood at fullback and run the triple option.

Am I the only NFL/NCAA football fan in the world who will be avoiding this Monday's game in the Superdome because of a sense of more than mild disgust? The place is a charnel house, a place where people died because other people couldn't or wouldn't do anything to help.

How can anyone just go back to playing games there like nothing bad happened? The Superdome should be kept up as a monument to the victims of Hurricane Katrina and an indictment of an inept governmental disaster response system at all levels. It should never again be used as a place to have fun.

Absolutely return professional and college footall to New Orleans, but out of just a simple sense of propriety if nothing else, don't play in the Superdome.

Couple quick thoughts that I haven't already written at FBV - new content here baby :)

a) Poppa - I can only speak for myself but I definately have an uneasy feeling about this Saints/Falcons game on Monday Night and yet that didn't stop me from putting some cash down on the Falcons - that game was just to enticing.

b) The stuff about the Superdome not being used again - that's pretty unrealistic don't you think? I mean I agree that what happened there was terrible but at the same time if they were going to return professional sports as well as concerts and conventions which would bring in millions of dollars to the city to rebuild itself they had to use the infrastructure that was already in place. I dont know of any city in the United States that has giant buildings in downtown areas that are empty based solely on sending a message to the Bush Presidency and future leaders that they really f'd up during Katrina.

I actually think that using the Superdome is a greater testiment to the city and it's people. It's a sign of rebirth - they are returning to a place where so much wrong happened and they are doing so in a great atmosphere to show that they survived and now they are going to celebrate the spirit of New Orleans and all of those who lost their lives because of that tragedy.

c) Finally - Dan you gotta start picking with the point spreads man. Now that you're a memeber of the "evil blogs" that Simmons singled out in his column this week you might as well prove that like his wife you are better at picking games then he is. BTW I've picked 21 winners w/ the spread this season which probably means I'll pick every game wrong for the next two weeks to come back to earth.

As a long time Niner fan still struggling to look at mediocrity as a step in the right direction, tell me this: Could Alex Smith finally be on the right track, and is he maybe not as bad as last season made him seem? God forbid...could he be a good pro QB?

Connect With Me

Quickish

About This Blog

DanShanoff.com is a sports-blog spin-off of my long-time ESPN.com column, "The Daily Quickie." Anchored by an early-morning post of must-know topics, the blog is updated frequently throughout the day with new posts and user comments.